5E Lesson Plan

Teacher: Samantha Pallitto

Date: September 22, 2014
Subject / grade level: Grade 5
Materials: Computer, Childrens book on the water cycle, informational texts about water cycle, Paper, Post it
Notes
NC SCOS Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives

5.4 Earth Sytems Science: All students will understand that Earth operates as a set of complex, dynamic,
and interconnected systems, and is a part of the all-encompassing system of the universe.
-#5.4.2.G.1: Observe and discuss evaporation and condenstation.

Lesson objective(s):
Make inferences about how water moves through the environment
Explain how water cycles through the environment
Differentiation strategies to meet diverse learner needs:
Students can choose to write out the water cycle steps, or draw them.

ENGAGEMENT

Show youtube video of the water cycle song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw275056JtA

Boys and girls, what comes to your mind when you think of the word cycle? On chart paper have the word
cycle, and have class brainstorm ideas, while teacher write them on the chart paper. Class you have come up
with some excellent ideas, one type of cycle I want us to focus on is the water cycle. Does anyone know anything
about the water cycle? wait a few minute for responses, and discuss ideas. I would like you to write or draw on
your papers what you think the water cycle looks likes.
You all have some excellent ideas and I am very excited to explore the water cycle with you all. I want you to all
turn your attention towards me and closely follow along with the text as I read to you Water, Water Everywhere.
While I am reading I would like you all to draw or write what you are hearing on your first piece of paper. What do
you all think the water cycle looks like? What in the text makes you think that?

EXPLORATION

Have students split into different lab groups to perform a water cycle experiment. Boys and girls in each group
there are soil, sand, clay different landforms made out of clay, and water in a basin. The top of the basin is
covered in plastic wrap and we are going to place them on the windowsill for about 2-3 days. I want you to write
in your science journals and infer about what may happen.
This will take about 2-3 days for condensation to show and when the moisture collects they will see precipitation.
After students are done with their predictions, they will conduct their own research on the water cycle by looking
through informational texts or searching information on the computer.

5E Lesson Plan
EXPLANATION
Boys and girls while you are researching the water cycle I want you to keep in mind a few questions:
--What is evaporation, what is condensation, and what are the differences between the two?
-How does the sun affect the water?
Confer with students and have them share their research, then have them focus on a whole-group instruction
Teacher will discuss four different stages of the water cycle while students write or draw each separate stage on
the post-it notes. On the back of the post-it notes, students will be able to flip it up and see the definition.
Students will put the page in their science journals to refer back to.
ELABORATION
Today, and every day we will continue to learn the water cycle, so it is important that we understand how the
cycle works. Lets say aloud altogether the steps that we have learned today about the water cycle:
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Precipitation
The water cycle affects our every day life. All animal, plants, and humans need water to survive. It has been on
the Earth for billions of years, and it never disappears. Water keeps our Earth from getting too hot or too cold. It is
really important that you know why the water cycle is important and the terms that go along with it.
The teacher will pair students up in groups to make their own picture books on the water cycle based on what
they learned today, that the teacher will hang around the room.
EVALUATION
Students will show they have met this lesson by turning in their picture books to be graded and having the correct
information about each stage of the water cycle we had learned about today.